Here is a link to their website. There is a lot to read and I don't know if it will be all that helpful, but you may find it interesting as they are also on their dream ride! http://www.aussiesoverland.com.au/

alex and andreaa have a great christmas on the road

...and the couple that duncan is talking about are great, i've met them a few times, good entertaining stories, i just got an email from them last night they are in South Africa for christmas

Kia Ora & Seasonal Greetings Alex & Andreea, from a not so flightless fellow Kiwi ADVenturer based in mainland China. Read through this entire thread starting several days/nights ago - managed to get caught up to the final post today, so now feel able to say gidday or Nia Hao in Mandarin Chinese.

Scribed to this ADVenture and will be following the updates & continued adventure.

Enjoyed the reflective and insightful writing style, and the photo-loge & once again I'm warmed by the generosity of the human spirit on this (and other) thread(s) extended by so many like minded souls. BRAVO! After all as can be said, we're not strangers to one another, only friends who have never met. If you ever happen to be in mainland China at some point in the future then please look me (& my family) up (we're in Ningbo). I've a few bikes in the garage and loads of riding gear, plus we have a huge house, so plenty of space and room spare.

MeRry XmAs, to you both and all the other peeps here...

__________________
Kiwi ADVenturer inmate Dr, Paramedic, NP, (ex)firefighter exploring life via the ADVenturous 2 wheeled route. It's not the destination but the journey & choices made therein; that determines the measure of ones legacy. Don't sweat the small stuff, life happens while we're not looking. Hug those around you who have a place & meaning in your life, for it may not come again.

@TOTim, @Bill, thank you very much for your wishes! I hope you had a nice vacation as well!

@Sinned: wow, to be honest exactly one year ago when I was just thinking if I should start this trip, I never would have dreamed of actually doing it and having people from so many places helping and encourage us.

Some, we know from here on Adv, others just brought by chance in our pathways. With some we will have the chance to meet again, others we haven't met yet.

It is just as you said: "we're not strangers to one another, only friends who have never met"

So we do hope to meet as well somehow. If not in China, maybe in Romania?

We got to spend Christmas in Ecuador and we had some unexpected events that made our Holidays very special (in a good way). But until we tell you that, I hope you will enjoy the story of our first days in Colombia.

First days in Colombia: 12-14 of December
I open my eyes and the walls are moving. The problem is that you don’t have a fixed point to hold on too. Everything shifts and rocks up and down and from side to side. It is morning, it must be as there is some light from above. But the engine noise is missing. That means we are still broken down and “dead in the water”. I get up and carefully climb up to the deck. There people are trying to find a “stable” place to sit and wait.

The engine has problems with some admision valves which broke into pieces. Luckily there is a welding machine on board. And, even more, one of the travelers, Paul, knows how to weld. So, the guys get to work. It takes a few hours to take the parts apart, weld them and put them back. I can only imagine that it was quite difficult to weld in an environment which is moving all the time. After the second try, the motor is ready to go. We start with reduced speed in order not to stress the parts, but we are advancing.

So, with a delay of one day, we have land in our sights! We are in Colombians waters.

The first contact with the city is a total surprise. When thinking at Cartagena I was imagining old colonial port-town, with a scent of pirates and exotic spices. First time, we see… skyscrapers reaching the clouds.

But the old Cartagena will reveal itself, a little bit later. For now we had to get ourselvs and the bikes onshore. The part with taking the people onshore is easy. Just use the dingy.

To get our Colombian stamps is again an easy task, albeit a little tedious as we have to wait a while in the immigration building. And that’s it for the day. The bikes will have to wait a fresh start, tomorrow, at 6 AM.

And it is not going to be that simple. First step is to get the bikes on firm land. And here Stahlratte cannot approach a doc and just lift the bikes. So, we load the bikes, one by one on the small dingy! Then the owner will sit on the bike, to kip it “upwards” and navigate like that to the shore.

I must admit, that must have been one of the most interesting ways to “ride” a bike.

Then you must take your motorcycle to the aduana building which is several streets away. The interesting thing is that officially you shouldn’t ride your bike in Colombia, as you don’t have the paper work for the temporary import. But, you just ride it and rely on the fact that nobody will stop you and ask anything.

The paperwork takes the hole day. I guess that having 12 bikes at once in the Aduana doesn’t help with the speed but the general impression was that the officials take their time. A lot of time. Anyway, by 16 o’clock we are out and drive to hour hostel which quickly fills with bikes. A beautiful sight for a motorcyclist.

With all the papers done and the bikes parked, it’s time to visit the old city. On the streets we find a lot of cars which are designed in Romania and sold here under Renault badge. So we feel a little like home.

But we are not at home. The old colonial city reveals itself in bright colors and a lot of movement.

People are dancing, selling all kind of stuff on the streets, listening to latin music and just having a good time.

We are walking throuch old neighborhoods with quiet parks and… Christmas trees.

Yes, Christmas is coming soon. For a second, just a second, I think that we are so far away from home and our Christmas traditions. It will be the first year being away from Romania in this season. And not only that we will be away from Romania but we don’t even know where we will be. Colombia? Ecuador? The second passes and I smile. It will all be good.

For now, we talk with 3 of Santa’s helpers, asking them to tell Santa that this year, he needs to bring our presents in South America!

We have dinner on the side of the street, from a stand, with the locals. We feel incredible good! We are surrounded by salsa, lights, people dancing in front of their houses or discussing the day’s matters over a beer. We are in Colombia and we start to feel it!

No map for this story.Next time we find out in how many ways you can pass a slow moving truck on a Colombian road. Stay tuned!

Wow! I just discovered your ride report and have read through it in one sitting! Very enjoyable to read and the photos are great. Thanks!
I own an olympic racing canoe used by Ivan Patzaichin in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics

Wow! I just discovered your ride report and have read through it in one sitting! Very enjoyable to read and the photos are great. Thanks!
I own an olympic racing canoe used by Ivan Patzaichin in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics

WOW!!! jbcaddy, no way! You really have a Ivan Patzaichin's canoe??? That's awesome! Ivan is one of my favorite Romanian sportsmen.

Romania was the only "communist" country to come to the 1984 L.A. Olympics. To sweeten the deal for them, the organizing commitee told them to bring the boats they were accustomed to racing to Los Angeles. Then the Romanian team left thier boats here. The organizing commitee bought the team new boats from the factory in Europe and the team picked them up when they got back home. The boats were then sold to people and clubs in the US and Canada. I bought his C-1 and still have it. When canvas cover started to fall apart, I saved the area where it had his name painted on it and was able to have him personally sign it when I was at the 1996 Olympic games in Atlanta, US of A. He is not just a hero to Romanians!